dorset



F. F. DORSEY.

IGNITION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 19x1.

1,814,131. Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I0, I9I7.

F. F I D'ORSEY.

IGNITION APPARATUS.

PatentedAug. 26, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

rumor: r. DORSEY, or WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,

.assiciwon. To NORTH EAST ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK- IGNITION APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application filed March 10, 1917. Serial 1T0. 158,927.

tus such as is employed in connection with andparticuinternal-combustion engines,

which larly with engines of motor-vehicles, are operated at variablespeeds.

The object of the invention is to produce simple and effective means forvarying the time of operation of electric ignition-apparatus, eithermanually, or automatically, or in both manners. In electricignition-apparatus it is common to employ a rotary circuit-controller bywhich the time of ignition is controlled, and to drive thiscircuit-controller in definite time-relation with the cycle ofoperations of the engine. The present invention relates particularly tothe mechanical connections between the circuitcontroller and the engine,whereby the timerelation in question is varied to change the timeofignition, and the inventionconsists in the novel features ofconstruction and operation of the applaratus hereinafter described, asit is de ned in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings Figure1 is a side-elevation, partly in vertical Section, of i ition-apparatusembodyin the pres ent invention; Fig. 2 is a side-e evation, on 'aslightly larger scale than Fig. 1, of a part of the mechanism includingparticu- 'larly the centrifugal timing-device; Fig. 3

is a plan-view of the apparatus shown n v Fig. 1, but on a somewhatlarger scale, with the upper part broken away;-and 4 and 5 are,respectively, a front-elevation and a rear-elevation of the centrifugaltimin device.

he invention is illustrated as embodied in ignition-a paratus of thehigh-tension type in whic a rotary circuit-controller is employed whichis arranged to control both the primary and the secondary circuits inthe usual manner. AS the circuit-controller may be of an ordinary orsuitable form, its construction is not particularly illustrated, but itis shown, by dotted lines in Fig. 1, as having the usual rotary elements6 and 7 of the primary-circuit interrupter and the secondary-circuitdistributer, these elements being mounted on and actuated by a verticalshaft 8 which turns in a bearing mounted in a casing 9. 4

The shaft 8 is provided, at its lower end, with a helical gear orworm-wheel 10 which meshes with and is driven by a helical gear or worm11. The gear 11 is mounted on and actuated by a horizontal drive-shaft12 which, in turn, s actuated by a shaft 13 connected with, orconstituting a part of, the engine with which the ignition-apparatus isemployed. In the apparatus specifically illustratedit will be understoodthat the shaft 13 rotates at the same speed as the crank-shaft of theengine, while the circuit-controller shaft 8 is rotated, through thehelical gears, at one-half this speed. The shafts 12 and 13 areconnected by a coupling 14 of the well known Oldham type, this couplingbeing adapted to accommodateitself both to lateral relativedisplacements of the shafts 12 and 13, and to relative longitudinalmovements of these shafts.

One feature of the presen invention resides in the provision for achange in the time of ignition by axial movement of one of the helicalgears independent of its rotative movement. In the illustratedembodiment of the invention this axial movement is imparted to thedriving-gear 11, by len hwise movement of the shaft 12 on which it ismounted. For this purpose the shaft is journaled in a bearing-bushing 15which is mounted to slide in a sleeve. 16

forming a part of the casing) 9. Thrustwashers 17 at the ends of the'caring-bushing, engage respectively th the gear 11, so thatthe shaft and"the gear are constrained to follow longitudinal movements of thebushing. It will be apparentthat a slight longitudinal movement w1ll betransmitted, through the gear 11, to the driven-gear 10, so as to'resultin a partial rotationof the Shaft 8, whereby the angular positionof thisshaft and of the circuit-controller is varied for an 'ven angularposition of the shaft 12. e relative sizes the parts are such that asuflicient adjustment may be produced in this manner by a coupling Hand;

comparatively slight lengthwise movement of the shaft 12, such as may bereadily ac commodated by the coupling 14.

he movement of the bearing-bushing 15 may be produced in any desiredmanner, or through any means whereby it is desired to control the timeof ignition, but in the illustrated apparatus this movement is producedmanually. For this purposethe sleeve 16 is slotted "to receive aslide-block 18, which is secured to the bushing by dowels 19 and ascrew-stud 20. Upon the stud. a roller 21 is journaled, and this rolleris controlled 4 by a cam-plate 22, pivotallymounted on the casing bymeans of a stud 23. The cam-plate is provided with an arm 24 which maybe moved directly by hand, or connected with any suitable manuallyoperable member. en the arm 24 is swung forwardly, z'. 6. rom left toright in Fig. 3, the shaft 12 is moved rearwardly, and this causes apartial clockwise rotation of the shaft 8 and the circuit-controller,while the movement of the arm 24 in the opposite direction causes anopposite rotation of the circuitcontroller. Amuming that thecircuit-controller is driven in a clockwise these movements result,respectively, in advancing and retarding the action of theignition-apparatus.

The illustrated apparatus is provided with automatic speed-controlledmeans for .movement on the shaft forwardly through varying the time ofignition, in addition to the manually-controlled means. For this purposethe gear 11 is notfixed to the shaft 12, but is keyed to a sleeve 25which is free to turn through a slight angle upon the shaft. The sleeveis integral with two oppositelyprojecting arms 26, which support pivots27 upon which two centrifugal weights 28 of crescent-like form aremounted, each weight being provided, near one. end, with two cars 29which embrace one of the arms 26 and receive the pivot thereon.

In front of the arts just described a plate 30 is' mounted plate havinga hub which is keyed so as to rotate with the shaft, and which issecured thereon by washers and a nut 31. The sleeve 25 is confinedagainst longitudinal by engagement of its ends, respectively, with thehub of the plate 30 and with a shoulder upon the shaft. Each weight 28is provided, near the end opposite to that at which it is pivoted to thearm 26, with a stud 32 which projects an opening 34 in the plate-30. Thestud is provided with a roller 33 which cooperates with the edge of theplate at said opening. The portion of the edge is engaged by the rollerconstitutes a cam, and the roller is maintained in engagement with thiscam by means of a coiled tension-spring 37. One end of the ringishooked. to engage the stud 32, eing direction,

as a

upon the shaft, this seated in an annular groove therein, and the otherhooked end of the spring engages a post 38 fixed on the plate 30. Thecam-surface is concave in form, and so disposed that the portion engagedby the roller 33 when the parts are not in rotation, or are rotating ata comparatively low speed, is nearly normal to the length and thedirection of pull of the spring 37 while the more remote portion 36 ofthe cam-surface rapidly approximates a direction parallel with the lineof pull of the spring. The plate 30 is rotated by the shaft 12, and bythe pressure of the cam-surfaces against the rollers 33 the weights arecaused to revolve. Through the pivots 27 and the arms 26 the weightsactuate the sleeve 25 and the gearll, As the speed of rotation increasesthe centrifugal efi'ect upon the weights causes them to swing outwardly,thus rotating the sleeve 25 relatively to the shaft 12, while therollers move outwardly along the cam-surfaces. This movement is resistedby the springs 37, and the resistance of these springs varies in thedirection of a rapid increase as the rollers approach the outer parts ofthe I cams. By suitable formation of the cam surfaces, therefore, thecentrifugal mech anism may be adjusted to advance the time of ignitionin any desired proportion to the speed of rotation.

The general arrangement of the cams, the cam-rollers and the springs isnot claimed part of the present invention, but a feature of the presentinvention resides in the novel and simple arrangement for assembling andretaining the parts of the automatic timer. Between each cam-roller andthe corresponding spring a washer 39 is mounted loosely upon the stud32, and this washer retains the roller against endwise movement on thestud, while it is, in turn retained in place by the end of the spring.This spring-end, as before stated, is retained upon the stud .byengagement with an annular groove therein, this engagement being securemaintained by the constant tension 0 the spring. When it is desired todisassemble the parts, for any reason, this may be readily done byunhooking the spring from the stud, whereupon the washer and the rollermay at once be removed, and the plate 30 may then be readily removedfrom the shaft, thus afi'ording access to the p 1vot;pins 27 These pinsare shown as prov1ded with heads which prevent the pins from escapingrearwardly, while they are retained agamst forward movement by theirproximity to the rear surface of the late. When the plate has beenremoved, owever, the pivot-pins may be withdrawn, thus permitting theremoval of the weights om the arms 26. The parts are assembled by theoperations in the inverse order.

he lnventlon is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it may be embodied invarious other forms within the scope of the following claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. Ignition-apparatus having, in combination, a driven shaft; a circuitcontroller actuated thereby; a driving-shaft; helical gears connectingsaid shafts, one of said gears being loose on the corresponding shaft;an automatic timing device connecting the loose gear withi its shaft andarranged to move the gear relatively to the shaft to vary the time ofoperation of the circuit-controller in accordance with the speed ofrotation of the shafts; and means for moving the driveshaft, and thegear carried thereby, axially, independently of but during rotation ofthe parts, to change the time of operation of the circuit-controllerindependently of the automatic timing-device.

2. Ignition-apparatus having, in combination, a circuit-controller;means, for actuating the circuit-controller, including a pair ofintermeshing helical gears and a rotary member with which one of thegears is rotatively connected; means for changing the relative positionof said gear and said rotary member to change the time of operation ofthe circuit-controller; and independent means for moving said gearaxially, without change of said relative position, to change said timeof operation.

3. Ignition-apparatus having, in combi nation, a circuit-controller;means, for actuating the circuit-controller, comprising a rotary memberand a helical gear rotatively connected therewith but rotatablerelatively thereto; means for rotating the gear relatively to saidrotary member, to change the time of operation of thecircuit-controller; and independent means for moving the gear axially tochange said time of operation.

4:. Ignition-apparatus having, nation, a circuit-controller; a drivengear through which the circuit-controller is actustud; and

in combiated; a driving-gear meshing with the driven gear; a drive-shafton which the driving-gear is mounted but relatively movable; anautomatic speed-controlled device, mounted on the drive-shaft, formoving the driving-gear relatively to the shaft to change the time ofoperation of the circuitcontroller; and means for moving the shaft,independently of its normal rotation, together with the driving gear andsaid speedcontrolled device, to change said time of operationindependently of said device.

5. Ignition-apparatus having, in combination, a circuit-controller; adriven shaft by which the circuit-controller is actuated; a helical gearon said shaft; a drive-shaft; a helical driving-gear, meshing with thebeforementioned gear, mounted on, but rotatable with respect to, thedrive-shaft; a centrifugal timing-device mounted on the driveshaft andarranged to rotate the drivinggear relatively to said shaft, to changethe time of operation according to the speed of rotation of thedrive-shaft; and means for moving the drive-shaft axially, together withthe driving-gear and said timing-device, to change said time ofoperation independently of the speed of rotation of the drive-shaft.

6. In ignition-apparatus, an automatic timing-device comprising tworelatively movable rotary members; a centrifugal weight movablyconnected with one of said members; a cam connected with the other ofsaid members; a stud, on said weight, provided with aroller whichengages said cam and. which is removable over the end of the a spring,for controlling the weight, which has an interlocking engagement withsaid stud whereby the roller is normally retained thereon, the springbeing disengageable from the stud but normally retained in engagementtherewith by its resiliency.

FARNUM F. DORSEY.

of the circuit-controller

